Fight to the Finish
by lickitysplit
Summary: Elizabeth is upset with Meliodas after his fight with Ban. Can she convince him to be more considerate of her feelings... and can he convince her to trust him? Set directly after Signs of Holy War episode 2: "Our Fighting Festival". One-shot.


**Summary:** Elizabeth is upset with Meliodas after his fight with Ban. Can she convince him to be more considerate of her feelings... and can he convince her to trust him?

 **A/N:** Welcome to this one-shot! This is set directly after _Signs of Holy War_ episode 2: "Our Fighting Festival". The idea for this fic came about through the amazingly creative genius of the incredibly gifted Cerulean Grace. Thank you truly, my dear, for the brainstorming session over angry Melizabeth and the list of one-of-a-kind titles. I am once more in your debt, and this is dedicated to you.

Also, please be mindful of the M rating. Thank you so much for reading!

* * *

Everyone piled into the Boar Hat, ready to have fun and relieve the tension that had built up witnessing what was possibly the greatest fight ever in Lioness. Everyone had felt as though they had been a part of history, as not only the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins squared off against the Immortal Man, but _also_ the Fairy King himself took on a platinum-ranked Holy Knight! It was an incredible tournament, an unbelievable display of magic and strength and skill, even though technically there hadn't been a winner in either fight.

Now they filed into the tavern, the Sins quickly getting into their usual spots to serve the crowd. Everyone, that is, except for the two main contestants in the fight, and the Boar Hat's top waitress.

Ban carried Meliodas up the steps to the second-floor bedroom and deposited him carefully on the bed. "There ya go, Cap'n," he said with a grin. "Damn, you still look like shit."

"Thanks a lot," Meliodas answered back weakly, but cheerfully. "I'll be down once I rest a bit and can feel my legs. Don't let Gowther behind the bar, as much as he may insist, okay?"

"Yeah, no problem. I got it covered." With another laugh he turned and walked out.

Elizabeth, who had been watching from the foot of the bed, followed behind and carefully shut the door. She placed her hands on the wood and took several slow breaths before turning around. Meliodas was trying to shift on the bed, but was unable to get comfortable. Instead, he sighed and turned his face towards her. "Don't worry, I'm fine," he said with a grin, one eye still partially swollen shut.

"Mmm hmm," she murmured back. She could feel his eyes watching her as she walked to the chair that sat near the window, picking it up awkwardly and carrying it to the bedside. The princess sat down with a bit of a huff and looked him over.

Despite his grin, the Dragon Sin really did look as bad as Ban had said. He was covered in dust, cuts and bruises and gashes all over his arms and legs. One eyelid puffed out, framed by an ugly sort of purple, and his hair stuck out even more wild than usual, sticky with sweat and blood. His lip was cut, and there was a gash on his shoulder that peeked through where his shirt had been sliced.

Heaving a sigh, Elizabeth pressed her palms on her knees. "Do you need anything?"

"Hmmm," Meliodas mused, smiling up at her as best as he could, "maybe if you lay here next to me, then we could—"

"Oh, hush," she snapped, and Meliodas frowned, the action causing him some pain. The wince filled the princess with a small bit of satisfaction, and with a twist of her mouth she reached out a hand, hovering it over him. Since discovering her healing power, she had been practicing it with Merlin's guidance, and now she tried to pinpoint his most grievous injuries. But there were just so many, with some cracked ribs and internal bleeding and something terribly wrong with his spine, that she growled under her breath without even realizing it.

"Something wrong?" asked Meliodas. There was still the lightness in his voice, still the playful teasing, but there was also just a tiny bit of nervousness. Not at his injuries; Meliodas knew that he would recover in no time, especially if Elizabeth managed to help the process along. Instead, there was a look he had never seen on her face before as she examined him, and it filled him with a touch of shame.

She did not answer, so he watched her, looking for more clues. After a few silent minutes, Elizabeth sighed again. "Can you move at all?" she asked, her tone clipped.

"Not yet," he answered honestly, the teasing now gone from his voice. "Is everything all right? You look… strange."

Her eyes flew up to meet his, and if he could, he would have shrank back from the fire that was lit inside him. " _I_ look—!" She shook her head, her mouth pursing even tighter, and she bit out, "Your injuries are worse than I thought. I'll need to concentrate, so stay quiet."

Meliodas frowned again, his face once again twinging in pain as he did so, but he could not help it. This was a tone she had never used with him before, even in all the times he had teased her or embarrassed her or surprised her. She was actually _angry_. At him!

He would have laughed at the situation—this princess getting angry at the Sin of Wrath himself—pouting as her hands began to glow with her healing power. The irony of it all was certainly not lost on him. But his chest also twisted with a bit of hurt that she would not understand what happened, try to understand his motives. Just the little twisting of her lips gave his heart a jolt of embarrassment and chagrin and the feeling that he had made a terrible mistake, and he _hated_ that.

"You do know why we fought, right?" he asked, the warmth of her powers flowing through him. He could feel his bones mending and his skin restoring itself, his own healing powers bolstered by hers.

Elizabeth faltered for a second, but then regained her composure. "Of course I _know_ ," she hissed at him. The truth was, however, she didn't completely understand. Hawk had filled them in on their overheard conversation, and she understood their rules about working out their differences, but she was certain that there was _nothing_ that was so terrible between the two friends that had to be resolved in such a violent manner…

Which means they had enjoyed it, and hurt each other for fun. And _that_ was something she would not accept.

"Then why—?" he asked, but she interrupted, "Please!" His mouth snapped shut, and she pulled her hands back, her hands clenching into fists as she rested them on her thighs. She looked at him with another flash of anger and scolded, "You hurt each other terribly, Sir Meliodas. You frightened me half to death for a laugh. Now you can barely move and it was completely uncalled for. You could have been _killed_! And for what? For _fun_?"

Meliodas watched her as she chastised him, heat sliding up his neck, his own jaw clenching a bit as he listened. Even when Baltra had reprimanded him, he never felt so rotten. "Elizabeth," he said, clearing his throat. "You know that I didn't mean to scare you. You have to know by now that I would never do that."

Elizabeth did not answer, but resumed her work healing him, and he continued to gaze at her, his eyes moving over the set features on her face. The feeling began to come back into his fingers, and then his hands and feet, the tinging slowly moving up his limbs as he carefully tested what he was capable of doing. A bit of perspiration beaded her brow, and he was overcome with a sudden wave of tenderness towards her, the swelling emotion making him a bit weak.

"Elizabeth?" he whispered, wanting to know that she understood, but she simply shushed him. "Quiet, please, I need to concentrate," she hissed back, surprising him.

Once he was able to move his arm, he slowly slid a hand out. Meliodas still could not sit up, his spine still to damaged for that, but he smothered his grin as he reached her knee, sliding his hand up the inside of her thigh. "That's much better," he joked.

Elizabeth jolted, the magic snuffed out with her concentration broken, and she whirled to look at him. Meliodas froze, his hand still on her leg, and he suddenly felt completely awkward, like perhaps this was not the best decision. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed, and she snatched his hand and pushed it off before standing up. She grabbed the chair and stomped it back over to its place by the window, slamming it down on the floor. "There," she snapped. "I'm sure you'll be able to take care of the rest on your own."

Meliodas managed to hoist himself up on his elbows, staring at her in surprise. "What has gotten into you?" he asked.

Elizabeth folded her arms and looked back at him. His wounds were nearly healed, the cuts and bruises closed or faded, the color of life returning to his cheeks. It seemed as though just the last bit of paralysis was left of the most serious injuries. "You don't understand, Sir Meliodas. You said I was your reason for living, and then you would just do something so irresponsible. What do you suppose I would do without you?"

"Well, you know," he answered with a touch of sarcasm, "I seem to recall several instances where I told you to run or get away and you not only refused, but then put yourself directly in the path of the enemy's attack." Elizabeth gasped, and Meliodas looked at her blushing features with satisfaction. "So can you explain to me how this is any different?"

She turned away from him, her arms folded so tightly she shook, and closed her eyes. He just didn't understand, and _she_ didn't understand, how he could be so careless. His laid-back attitude, which she normally found charming, completely infuriated her. Elizabeth wanted to show him that he could not be so reckless, could not be so thoughtless with other people's feelings.

But how? How could she show him this? Elizabeth stomped back towards her closet, pulling out a fresh uniform. "I need to get downstairs," she snapped, and turned to go to the washroom to change, but then paused. Meliodas needed to be taught a lesson. He needed to know what it felt like to have his feelings toyed with, and to watch the person he cared about respond with complete apathy. She had an idea, one that made her blush furiously, but it was the only thing she could think that would actually make an impact on this infuriating man who was watching her with a devious smile.

With a deep breath, Elizabeth dropped the clean uniform on the foot of the bed, well out of Meliodas' reach. His eyebrows raised up a bit, but then his eyes widened and his mouth opened into a large round O when she began to unbutton her pink blouse. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, biting her lip to keep from smiling in satisfaction at the shocked look on his face. His eyes followed her fingers as they moved down the buttons, and then she turned around so her back was facing him, and pulled off the shirt.

He gasped at the sight of her bare back, and Elizabeth stifled a giggle. Quickly she pulled the new blouse on, but left it open, so when she turned to the side he could see that it was still undone. His breath hitched as she untied the belt around her waist, and slowly she slid the skirt down her legs, bending over in just her panties. When she stood, she turned again without looking or acknowledging the hitch in his throat, allowing her shirt to hang a bit; her chest was exposed, but covered under the shadow of the fabric, and Meliodas groaned her name.

Her cheeks flared involuntarily at the sound, but she pressed on, stepping into the new skirt and wiggling her hips a bit as she pulled it up. Then she slowly buttoned up her top, smoothing her hands down over her curves as if to straighten the fabric, but instead pressed her clothes tightly around her body to accentuate her figure. Elizabeth risked a quick glance at Meliodas, and was beyond pleased to see him still gaping at her, frozen as he still sat up on his elbows. She lifted one leg and straightened her stocking before bending over one more time, making sure to flash him a full view of her body under her skirt, scooping up the dirty clothes and tossing them into the closet.

"I'll see you downstairs," she said coldly as she walked towards the bedroom door. "Elizabeth, wait a second!" he called, struggling to get up, but she left and pulled the door shut firmly behind her. She stood in the hallway for a moment, her hand covering her mouth as she giggled furiously behind it, hearing a thump and a curse from inside the bedroom. Then she hurried down the steps towards the light and the noise of the tavern to start her shift.

* * *

"Damn it!" Meliodas shouted as the door clicked shut. He lost his balance as he threw himself forward to swing his legs over the side of the bed, and ended up falling halfway out, the blanket the only thing to break his fall. He laid on the floor, his head against the wood and his legs still dangling above on the bed, and he sighed. There was nothing to be done until his body finished healing, and he only prayed that no one walked in and found him in this ridiculous position.

Her words had stung, more than he had ever anticipated. Meliodas would never, ever purposely hurt her or frighten her; but sometimes, especially in his place in the world, people were hurt, things got frightening. Ban was his friend, someone he cared about deeply, and he needed to help him however he could, no matter what their 'rules' were. Just because he was doing something _for_ him, it didn't mean he was doing something _against_ her. Meliodas huffed in frustration, his bangs floating up where they had fallen over his face, scowling at the ceiling. And for her to say that to him… all he could think about was Elizabeth throwing herself in front of Gilthunder, and Ruin, and Griamore, and Hendrickson…

Meliodas pictured her then, strong and confident and beautiful and heart-stopping and infuriating all at once. Just the way she had looked just now, with her snapping tone and her folded arms… and then slowly unbuttoning her shirt right in front of him.

What had Elizabeth been thinking with that little show? It had been better than even his wildest imagination, her smooth skin he was longing to touch, the delicious curves that made his mouth water. He thought his head was going to combust when she pulled off her shirt—then followed up with the slow exposure of her backside as she pulled off her skirt. She did this on purpose, she _had_ to have known what seeing her display her body like that would do to him. But why?

Meliodas shifted uncomfortably, and he dug his nails into the palms of his hands to keep himself under control. Feeling was beginning to return to his hips, and he needed to stay in check. Meliodas grinned wickedly up at the ceiling. If she thought she could teach him a lesson, then he would teach her one as well.

It was less than an hour later when he finally headed down to the main room, all cleaned up and donning his new tavern jacket. Things seemed to be going well, much to his amusement. The Boar Hat was filled with customers who looked like they had been having a grand time. Ban and King were behind the bar, Diane, Gowther, and Elizabeth hurrying among tables, and even Merlin giving a hand, using her magic to help send orders flying over the room.

He weaved through the tables, saying hello to the knights and citizens who called greetings to him, and purposefully made sure to bump right into Elizabeth. She was distracted by writing down and order, and he timed his steps so that when she spun around they crashed right into each other. "Careful!" he said happily, sweeping her up in his arms as she stumbled.

"Sir Meliodas!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!" He carried her behind the bar as she continued her apologies, until finally she said, "Um, you can put me down now."

"No problem, Elizabeth," he grinned, making sure to slip a hand under her skirt to grab a handful of her bottom. "I hope this makes up for earlier?" He gave her flesh a squeeze as he flashed her his brightest smile.

Elizabeth's own small smile instantly vanished. "Not at all, actually," she said in an equally cordial tone, despite the stony look on her face. Without even giving him the satisfaction of a squeak or a blush, she turned on her heel and stalked away from him.

His mouth hung open as he watched her go, and then cringed when he heard Ban whoop with laughter behind him. "That is one pissed princess!" he shouted, clapping a hand right in the middle of Meliodas' back.

The captain stumbled for a moment before righting himself. "Don't worry," he said. "I know just the thing."

His plan, in fact, was to kill her with kindness. Meliodas was going to shower her with compliments, give her the easiest tables to wait on, and use his very best manners as a sworn knight of Lioness and all that other nonsense. He thought for sure if he showed her a bit of charm, she'd be back to giving him easy smiles and laughing at his antics. But when he watched her back out in the crowd, he realized how very wrong he was.

Elizabeth watched Meliodas too, although she tried her very best not to let him know that. She was still angry with him for his ridiculous display with Ban, and she had been almost ready to forgive him— _almost_ —but then he had tried to feel up her leg, and _then_ have the nerve to point out the times she had put herself at risk! It was a completely different situation, and her blood boiled just thinking about it. Elizabeth had stepped in because the people she loved needed help. Meliodas had—well, he had acted like a fool.

Sweeping her up in his arms was a familiar move, and honestly the tavern was so busy that she had just about forgotten she was angry with him until he had done that. Obviously her little surprise had not impacted him the way she had hoped, if he was still this casual with her. If he thought that smiling at her and giving her a few playful squeezes was going to dissuade her from showing him how much it hurt to be an afterthought, then she was going to have to push a bit more.

So as she served drinks and food, she made sure to smile at everyone, laugh at all the jokes, give her friends and the customers extra attention. Meliodas was busy himself, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was watching, always watching, and saw clearly each time she placed a hand on someone's shoulder or arm, or blushed at someone's complement, or angled herself to bend just a bit suggestively as she performed her waitressing duties. Meanwhile, during every trip to the bar she was sure to pass on the complements to Ban and King, and laugh with Diane over the customers' antics, or stop to make easy conversation with Merlin… but to Meliodas she was nothing but professional: civil, but cold.

Meanwhile, Meliodas seemed to be doing the opposite. He proclaimed her the most beautiful waitress in the history of Lioness, which did cause her to blush, much to her embarrassment. She had to quickly duck away to keep him from seeing the tint to her cheeks. Each time she gave him a cool glance, he would return it with a smile of his own, and praise her skills or comment on one of her features or even just thank her profusely for being there.

To his annoyance, it wasn't working.

As the night wore on, his agitation grew. He tried to hide it as best as he could; after all, he had been around for more than 3,000 years. This wasn't the first woman who had ever been mad at him, or given him the cold shoulder, or tried to tease him to get his attention. But Elizabeth was different from anyone else, different from all the others he had ever loved. Meliodas would have never imagined, not in another 3,000 years, that _she_ would have acted this way. Elizabeth did not have tantrums, or play games. Her nature was just too kind and genuine and honest.

Watching her lean over Howzer as she giggled at something he said made him flush uncomfortably, the hot, red feeling flashing up the back of his neck. As he ground his teeth, wiping down a glass with clenched fists, he considered briefly if maybe he deserved this. Either Elizabeth had no idea what she was doing—and even as innocent as she was, he didn't believe that for an instant, she _had_ to be smarter that that—or, he had really done something to force her to behave this way. He frowned, thinking to what she had said about acting irresponsibly. She didn't say she was hurt… but could he have hurt her?

His thoughts were once again interrupted as she sat at the table with Howzer and Griamore—and then _slid her hand on his shoulder_ —and Meliodas decided he had had enough. "Closing time!" he announced, jumping up on the bar. "Everybody out!"

All conversation stopped, and all eyes turned to land on him. "Captain!" Diane shouted from the middle of the tables. "We still have at least another hour—"

"The tavern is closed!" he shouted again. "Anyone still here in two minutes will be escorted out by me, personally!"

Despite his huge smile and cheery tone of voice, there was a mad dash as all of the patrons headed towards the door at once, remembering the display of power from earlier, and his warning to them to be quiet during the fight or he'd kick all of their asses—they had believed it, too, just as they believed being escorted out would be bad news. The rest of the Sins watched incredulously as the bar cleared out in record time, and Diane came over and slammed her tray down on the bar in a huff. "What was that about?" she demanded. "We were doing so well!"

"Cap'n looks tired," Ban commented, scraping the leftovers in a heap on a plate.

"Hardly," Meliodas laughed, and then he looked across the room to lock eyes with Elizabeth. She still sat at the table that had been occupied by their friends, and she pressed her lips together into a thin, hard line. "I just thought we should end early. You know, before things got out of hand."

Ban roared with laughter, but the others just shrugged and muttered as they started their end-of-night clean-up. Meliodas watched as Elizabeth gathered up glasses and bottles, carrying them carefully over to the bar. "Why don't you head upstairs early?" Meliodas asked sweetly, leaning over the bar with a smile. "You must be exhausted."

"I'm fine," she answered curtly, not looking at him.

"Elizabeth," he said, and the bit of edge to his voice made her actually meet his gaze. "Don't you think you've made your point?"

"Made my point?" she whispered, her brows pulling down.

"Yeah," he answered with a laugh. "I mean, you can't really still be mad at me."

Elizabeth sucked in a breath, and they stared at each other for a long moment. Meliodas' smile began to slip from his face as her expression went from surprise to fury. She pushed her tray at him, which he took with an "oof", before flying up the steps to the second floor.

"Nice job," Ban commented, leaning over the bar, and Meliodas scowled and smashed him in the face with the tray.

* * *

The clean-up took no time at all, but Meliodas fussed around while he was downstairs, trying to stall. Once everyone else had finished and retired for the night, he spent some time wiping down the tables, rearranging the stools, pretty much anything he could think of that would keep him from climbing up the steps and facing Elizabeth. He pictured her lying in bed, her back turned to him. Would she be sullen and give him the silent treatment? Or would she yell? They had never had a disagreement before, and he was unsure of what to do.

Finally, he realized he was being stupid. This was _Elizabeth_. Yes, he had hurt her feelings, he decided as he cleaned. He should have warned her about the fight, what to expect, that she shouldn't worry. He should have known that she would feel so deeply about it and not have tried to make light of it. And even though it still irritated him that she thought he was being irresponsible, that she couldn't just trust him enough to let him do what he needed to do, he knew it was up to him to make things right.

So with a heavy sigh he climbed the stairs, hopping up to the second floor landing, and walked down the dark, quiet hallway to the bedroom they shared. But when he turned the handle, it would not budge.

He twisted one way, then the other. He pressed his shoulder against the door, gently, not wanting to break it. Still, it would not open. "Elizabeth?" he called softly. "Are you awake? The door is stuck."

"It's not stuck," she called back to him. "I don't want to see you."

"What?!" he shouted. He rapped on the door sharply once, twice. "Elizabeth, open the door."

"No!" she called back.

"Elizabeth," he growled through gritted teeth. "Open. The. Door."

There was a pause, and then her voice came from right on the other side of the wood. "I said, I don't want to see you. I'm not unlocking the door, so just go away."

Meliodas gaped at the damned thing, his heart practically stopping in his chest. Did she really think a door would stop him, if he wanted to get in? Did she honestly think he would just let her turn him away— _from his own bedroom_? "Elizabeth!" he shouted. "Open this door or I'm breaking it down!"

There was no answer, and he stood in the hallway, fuming, his hands clenching at his sides. He could take the door off its hinges with barely any effort, but what if she was still there, right on the other side? He couldn't risk injuring her, and he didn't want to scare her, even though he was practically seeing red with this ridiculous situation. As he stared at the wood, he could feel his temper starting to swirl, his teeth grinding painfully. _How_ did she manage to get the upper hand in this? He was the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins for fuck's sake and—

"What's going on?" Meliodas froze, and then turned; to his chagrin, everyone else was piled in the hallway, watching. "Elizabeth locked you out?!" King squealed, and the rest began laughing—except for Gowther, who watched with wide curious eyes.

"Shut up," he muttered, turning and hurrying down the steps. He flew through the front door, banging it shut behind him, and stalked across the field until he was several dozen yards away. Then he turned, taking off in a sprint, and with a giant leap landed outside of the second-floor window. With a quick twist of his hand he yanked it open, climbing inside and finding a very startled Elizabeth sitting in the bed.

"Sir Meliodas!" she cried. "How—Where did you—?"

"Did you really think a lock would keep me out of there? Would keep me from you?" he said jokingly, but the way her eyes widened he could tell she knew he was anything but joking.

He took a step towards her, but then Elizabeth was up and moving as well, heading towards the door. "If you're sleeping here, then I'll—" But she did not get to finish that thought, because in a flash he was next to her, picking her up over his shoulder and depositing her on the bed.

Elizabeth landed with a bounce and a squeal, rolling onto her back to find Meliodas climbing on top of her. "What are you doing?" she cried, her hands pushing on his shoulders, but of course she could not move him an inch. She stared wide-eyed into his smiling face, his hands planted on either side of her head. To her annoyance, she had the sudden urge to slide her hands in his hair, and tried very hard not to run her fingers through the bangs that hung down, framing his face. Instead, she yanked her hands away from him and clenched the bedsheets in an effort to keep her mind focused on how angry she was with the person inching closer and closer to her.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" he said in a low voice, the tone dark. Meliodas shifted over her, one knee pressing between hers, and Elizabeth opened her legs a bit to accommodate him without even realizing it. "You wanted my attention, right? You wanted to make sure I knew you were upset." His face dipped down even closer, and he pressed his cheek on hers for a brief moment before turning his mouth against her ear. "Here I am," he whispered, and a shiver went down her spine. "You have my full attention."

Elizabeth froze, waiting for him to move again, but Meliodas was completely still on top of her. She took a small, shaky breath, and heard him inhale against her neck, the breath warming her skin where his lips barely grazed her. "Meliodas," she breathed, as a warning, but he shifted again, his mouth trailing over her cheek. Elizabeth turned her face towards him, and then his mouth was on hers, his lips pressing firmly against her for a long moment.

It was lovely and warm and Elizabeth's heart pounded in her chest even as her stomach fluttered in excitement and anticipation. She tilted her head just a bit to test the feeling of his bottom lip. This was what she had been wanting for so long, some real tenderness and honesty from Meliodas. She felt the fluttering again, wondering if this was the beginning of a new start for them, the next journey they would have together…

Meliodas gave a soft groan, and then the vision of his bloody, broken body rushed to the surface of her mind. She yanked her mouth away, looking back at him with narrowed eyes. Elizabeth was not going to do this until he understood. She loved him too much to just be accepting of his reckless actions.

"Get off of me," she said, and winced as she heard the slight tremor in her voice, her command coming out infuriatingly like almost a question. Meliodas snapped back as if she had slapped him, looking down at her with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

"Elizabeth?" he said. "I thought—?" He searched her face for an answer, but it was smooth and cold as stone. He had thought that she had wanted this, that her reaction today was because she wanted _him_. Suddenly his anger came roaring back, and not knowing what to do, being pushed so far off center, had his emotions churning to the point where he was afraid he could lose control.

She watched his expression change from surprise to anger, and it incensed her to know that he still just didn't understand. "Of all the pig-headed, infuriating fools, you are the worst!" she yelped.

"Me?" he growled menacingly. "How could you lock me out like that?"

"How could you do what you did today?" she accused back. Elizabeth could feel hot tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and she was so _angry_ in that moment, at him for being so stubborn, and herself for not being able to hold it together. "Diane told me not to worry, that they could stop you, but I saw the mark on your forehead and I—I was so frightened!" A tear rolled down her cheek, and Meliodas swallowed thickly. "You care about Sir Ban, and I know you would have never forgiven yourself if—if something had gone wrong—and I just couldn't stand to see you hurt—"

The realization of how she had felt hit him hard. He went to move, to obey her request, but then he paused. She was wrong about him, _wrong_ to think that he would be careless, that _any_ decision he made for himself or their group was for any reason than to keep her safe and protected and happy. Elizabeth had to understand this. _He needed her to understand this._

So instead of moving off of her, he covered her body with his, capturing her mouth again with a growl, kissing her hard. Elizabeth gave a yelp in surprise, trying to jerk back, but a firm hand in her hair and the other arm wrapped around her waist made certain that she could go nowhere. Her hands were trapped between their bodies, and she gave a little moan as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. Meliodas was unrelenting, the kiss unforgiving. He pressed into her and over her, ignoring her whimpers that were only urging him on. He had tried to tease her; he had tried to be sweet; now, he tried the only thing he felt as though he had left, completely overwhelming her.

It was working. Elizabeth felt consumed by him, unable to even form a thought as his mouth assaulted hers. This was so unlike the gentle way he had kissed her moments ago, and tremors moved up her spine as his tongue stroked the inside of her mouth. She tried to squirm under him, but his body kept her pinned to the mattress, until she simply relaxed against him.

After what seemed like a lifetime, he finally pulled back, and she gasped in air, her chest trembling. His mouth was on her neck, biting her softly before she could say a word. She jolted with the feeling, both sweet and agonizing, and once she had taken a deep breath she stuttered out, "Sir Meliodas, please!"

To her frustration, he continued to ignore her, his mouth driving her crazy as it moved down, sliding along her collar, then kissing down her chest over the fabric of her blouse. The hand he had clenched in her hair relaxed suddenly, and she used the opportunity to shift enough to push her hands against his chest. Elizabeth didn't want him to stop, his mouth absolutely heavenly against her; but she needed a minute, a moment, to just think.

Meliodas felt her hands pressing on him, trying to push him away, but he continued to kiss her body in the way he had imagined since almost the first day they had met. He would stop if she asked him to, but he suspected that wasn't what she wanted at all. Until then, he wanted Elizabeth to feel him and know that he had told her the truth, that she was his reason for living.

Elizabeth shifted under him, and with a grin he realized she was arching her back. On instinct he pressed forward, and her legs opened to allow him to get even closer. He relished the thought that this was working, and his mouth returned to hers in a fiery kiss. To his delight she started to respond and kiss him back, but then she rolled her hips against him, her skirt riding up to allow her core to rub against him—and he suddenly realized through the haze of passion that he was hard and straining in his pants.

She must have noticed it too, at the same time, because she gasped into the kiss. He stilled for a moment, blood suddenly pounding in his head. But then she rolled her hips again, and again, breaking the kiss to drop her head back with a soft moan.

Everything in Meliodas' head shouted at him to stop. He braced himself again on his hands, pushing up and off of her. He didn't want to stop, and he definitely wanted to do whatever it took to hear her make that sound again; but he needed a minute to think and consider what exactly he was doing, and where exactly this was going. But then her legs wrapped around him, using his hips as leverage to tilt herself up; and then, amazingly, her hand was between his legs, rubbing him through the fabric.

Elizabeth bit her lip as she felt his body in her hand, and she slid her palm along the length of him. He felt hot and thick and heavy, and she watched his face wince in pleasure as she stroked him through the fabric. It was amazing to have a bit of power over him, feeling as though she had the upper hand for the first time since he had burst through the window, and she squeezed him experimentally even as she explored the shape and size with her hand. She was desperate to know what he was thinking, but his head was bowed, his hair creating a shadow over his eyes, making his expression unreadable.

For a moment, she was uneasy. Was she doing the right thing? Should she insist that he get away from her, like she had ordered before? Elizabeth swallowed as he rocked his hips slightly, pressing hard into her hand, and she decided that she wanted Meliodas to feel just as vulnerable as she had felt that morning. She wanted to make him agitated, undone, and the way his muscles tensed around her and his member strained in her hand because of what she was doing to him told her that this was the way.

Now emboldened, she spread her hands to rub her palm greedily against him; but Meliodas would not be overwhelmed so easily. He grabbed her wrists and pressed them against the bed, his fingers interlocking with hers to keep her hands in place as he pushed his hips down. The hard shape of him scraped against her, and Elizabeth made that sound again, the one that sent a shiver down his back even as heat flared inside of his skull. He pressed against her again, and again, and again, grinding hard between her legs. He watched her meet each of his thrusts, her neck straining as she arched his his hold, felt her legs sliding up and down his sides as she rocked her body to find the perfect angle against him.

Their breathing grew ragged, and Elizabeth squeezed her fingers on his. She was losing to him, losing herself to this encounter, and she realized that he had taken control again. But she didn't care anymore; all she cared about was the delicious friction between her legs, and the way she was racing towards a release of pleasure she felt was only moments away.

Then it hit like a wave crashing, and Elizabeth cried out, her entire body shaking. Meliodas kissed her again, swallowing her moans, his hips battering against her. When the pleasure began to fade, she whimpered into his mouth, and he shifted with a tantalizingly slow drag of his body against hers.

Meliodas was panting as he leaned up, looking down at her flushed skin and her wild hair, thinking she had never looked so beautiful, so perfect for him. If he hadn't been absolutely ready to burst himself, he could have stayed there forever, soaking in her loveliness and listening to the sighs that escaped her as she came down from her high. But the thrumming inside his body was loud and clear. He needed to move off of her, to go and find a way to relieve this ache inside him.

He pulled back, marvelling that they were still fully clothed, when her hands shot out, grabbing him by the waistband of his trousers. He mumbled a question before she lifted her mouth to seal it on his, and then her hands were back to their agonizing drag up and down his body. Meliodas' arms shook with the strain of keeping his need in check… and then her hands slipped inside his pants, grasping his feverish flesh in both of her hands.

Meliodas groaned, kissing her roughly, and Elizabeth stroked him with a firm hand. Her inexperience was charming, her hesitation was so sweet, that it took no time at all for him to lose himself in the touch of her hand and the taste of her mouth. He rocked his hips to thrust his body in and out of her eager hands, and then he hit his own climax, gasping and shuddering as his release spilled out onto her thigh and her skirt.

When it was over, he pressed his forehead into her neck, feeling her hands slick with his fluids sliding along his lower stomach. "I'm sorry," he breathed, dragging his face up to look at her, and Elizabeth's eyes opened wide in surprise. "You are more important than anything, and I—"

She shushed him then— _shushed him!_ —but a smile lit up her face. "I understand," she answered, pleased with his surrender, and then Meliodas kissed her, his hands moving to pull off her skirt. Now that their first argument was over, he was going to show her exactly how important she really was.


End file.
